As the Turkish soccer league finally decided to suspend competition due to the spread of Covid-19, it came as welcome relief to the 14 Ghanaian players competing in the country.
Turkey is among one of the last nations to suspend its football competition due to the rapid spread of coronavirus, with high profile Ghana players Bernard Mensah, Caleb Ekuban, Patrick Twumasi and Afriyie Acquah all forced to keep playing amid the growing concern.
The Turkish Super Lig bowed to growing pressure to suspend the league, especially after Nigeria midfielder John Obi Mikel announced on the weekend he would no longer be playing for Turkish club Trabzonspor over Covid-19 fears.
“There is more to life than football,” he wrote on Instagram.
“I do not feel comfortable and don’t want to play football in this situation.
“Everyone should be home with their families and loved ones in this critical time. [The] season should be cancelled as the world is facing such turbulent times.”
Football in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France have all been suspended until further notice. In Turkey, in the last week, games had continued to go ahead without any fans allowed to attend.
On Thursday, Turkish Sports Minister Muharrem Kasapoglu, speaking after a meeting of sports federations in Ankara, said: “Within the framework of measures taken against the coronavirus, all matches of soccer, basketball, volleyball and handball have been postponed.”
In partnership with ANA and Sports Leo
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